Seven questions that will lead to effective small groups.
by Jeffrey Arnold
John 15:1-17; Acts 2:42
1. What is the vision for small groups at our church? This question is fundamental. Answering it requires asking two more questions. First, what is our overall vision for what small groups can and will do in our church? (And, What is our biblical basis?) Second, what kinds of people in our church can and must be reached by the small group ministry?
Use these five steps to launch a successful ministry.
by Don Cousins
As a whole, ministers are rarely accused of not working hard. But I want to make sure I'm also working smart.
When I look at the marketplace, which I often do as a strategist, I see leaders who are forced to work smart because there's a bottom line telling them if their strategies are working. But in the ministry, the bottom line remains more intangible. It's difficult to evaluate how well we're doing, ...
Before you start a small-group ministry make sure you believe in it.
by Brett Eastman
So many of us have been there—you wake up in the middle of the night feeling pulled toward starting a small group ministry at your church. But by morning you still have no clue how to go about it.
I'll tell you this: If you're a pastor wondering how to go about launching a small group ministry, start by asking yourself, "Is a small group ministry something I truly value and can excite others with?" ...
Our cell group has happened upon what is one of the most effective methods for reaching out into your immediate neighborhood I have ever heard of. It is an ideal outreach method for a small group. In just a few weeks it has resulted in us meeting about 25 families in which we are now engaged on some level of ministry and 7 persons have received Christ or renewed their commitment to Him. And this is ...
he church must move from being the inviting church to becoming the invading church.
Joel Comiskey
Many remember a time in North America when the Sunday evening church service was labeled "evangelism night." Many were won to Christ through those services. Few such services exist today. Most churches have discontinued the Sunday evening services for lack of attendance. The North American, post-Christian culture no longer feels obligated to "go to church"—whether it is church on Sunday morning ...
How do we minister to neighborhoods that are so diverse?
Thomas Bandy
The primary mission field (the new "neighborhood" of mission) is defined by the average distance people within your zip code are willing to drive to work and to shop. The US Census will give you the average drive time to work, and a conversation with your friendly shopping mall developer will reveal the average drive time to shop. Your question is: How can I multiply small groups across the demographic ...
Once upon a time, someone tried to start a "small group program" in your church and it failed miserably. The whys and wherefores of the failure are irrelevant. The fact is, though, now you are stuck with the ever-present naysayers whose mantra is, "We tried that…." In spite of that, you know small groups are still the most efficient way to disciple, so you are committed to a resurrection. The ...
Taking the right steps, in the right order, can resuscitate a fading small group ministry.
Reid Smith
One of the greatest mistakes made by church leaders who want to reintroduce a small group ministry is that they make their first step an announcement from the pulpit. I have talked with dozens of pastors who took this well-intentioned step and it had catastrophic results because those who had a less-than-favorable experience felt disregarded, retired leadership felt dismissed and residual leadership ...
No matter how chaotic things may seem at the time, multiplication is all for the greater good of the kingdom of God.
Dan Smith
The small group was meeting together for the last time. Things couldn't have been worse. Their leader was leaving, the intern was unreliable, others in the group were squabbling and vying for positions of prominence, and one member was about to be exposed for embezzlement, fraud, and disloyalty. Defeat and fear permeated the atmosphere of the room as the leader stood to speak. He said,
Printer view of these results
Train
